New York Fudge Cake
Source of Recipe
St. Luke's Medical Center
List of Ingredients
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Time for best of '04
Year's top recipes range from buffalo brisket to jelly jewels
Posted: Dec. 28, 2004
So many recipes - so little time.
Best Recipes
Photo/Michael Sears
A "best recipe" list might not feel complete without one from chef and restaurant owner Sandy D'Amato. One of his 2004 entries is Antique Apple Salad with Tarragon Walnut Dressing.
Photo/Rick Wood
The restaurant is the Brown Dog; the dish is Pecan-Crusted Tilapia with Brandy-Maple Sauce; the results are wonderful.
Photo/Karen Sherlock
This creamy Sweet Potato Soup is a favorite at the Bavarian Wurst Haus.
Photo/Lindsay Steiner
St. Luke's Medical Center New York Fudge Cake is good for what ails you.
Photo/Kevin Eisenhut
Senegalese Peanut Soup has been described as 'yumilicious.'
Recipes
Pecan-Crusted Tilapia with Brandy-Maple Sauce
Cheese and Onion Enchiladas
Barbecued Buffalo Brisket
Black Bean Lasagna
The Soup House's Senegalese Peanut Soup
Louisianne's Pecan Crab Cakes
Mini Cheese, Bacon and Noodle Quiches
Sandy's Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad
Bavarian Wurst Haus Sweet Potato Soup
Antique Apple Salad with Tarragon Walnut Dressing
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Bananas ala Sponsor/Bananas du Garage
Iris' Death by Chocolate Cake
St. Luke's Medical Center New York Fudge Cake
Trattoria Fratelli's Ricotta Cake
Elsie's Sponge Cake
Chocolate Angel Delight
Tarte aux Pommes (Apple Tart)
Sandy's Jelly Jewels
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That's why, once again, we asked our pool of recipe testers to select the recipes they tested during this past year that were so wonderful they merited a repeat performance. Today we present you with that collection in one handy package.
The recipes are merely a selection of the best ones published in Food or Entree in 2004 that were tested for publication. For that reason, the mix does not include recipes that appeared with syndicated features or columns.
This year's mix is heavy on main dishes, including three meatless entrees, and simple but delicious desserts.
We can't guarantee your own favorites from the year are here, but we can promise that you won't be let down by any of them.
Happy New Year!
- The Journal Sentinel food staff
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Maple syrup adds sweet notes to this delicious dish from the Brown Dog Pub & Restaurant in West Bend.
Pecan-Crusted Tilapia with Brandy-Maple Sauce
1 cup toasted pecans (see note)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Pinch of salt and pepper
4 tilapia fillets
Whipped sweet potatoes (see recipe)
Brandy-maple reduction (see recipe)
Roasted red pepper and caper remoulade (see recipe)
Asparagus spears, roasted until al dente
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking sheet.
Place pecans, sugar, butter and salt and pepper in food processor and chop finely. Lay fillets on greased baking sheet and top with thin layer of pecan mixture.
Bake in preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until fish starts to flake.
Place fillets on individual serving plates over rounds of sweet potatoes. Using squirt bottle, squirt brandy-maple reduction into a design, or pour sauce into small pool on plate. Top each fillet with dollop of remoulade. Lean asparagus spears on top of fillet. Makes 4 servings.
Note: To toast pecans, spread on ungreased baking sheet and place in preheated 325-degree oven 5 to 7 minutes, checking and stirring often to prevent burning. (Nuts also can be toasted in skillet over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently; or in microwave on high, 2 1/2 to 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.)
Whipped sweet potatoes
4 small Yukon gold potatoes
4 medium orange-flesh sweet potatoes
2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel, quarter and boil potatoes until tender. Drain and put through potato ricer or food mill or beat in heavy-duty mixer with whip attachment. Mix in remaining ingredients. Season to taste. When ready to plate, make rounds by removing top and bottom from soup can and pushing sweet potatoes through can to form round shape.
Brandy-maple reduction
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup maple syrup
In small saucepan over high heat, reduce brandy to one-quarter of original amount. Brandy will flame, then reduce. Add maple syrup and cook over medium heat to reduce further and thicken to sauce consistency.
Roasted red pepper and caper remoulade
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon small diced roasted red pepper (may also use from jar)
1 teaspoon capers
1/4 to 1/2 (1 squeeze) teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In small bowl, whip together all ingredients.
Note: To roast peppers, preheat broiler or turn on gas flame burner. If broiling, place 2 to 3 inches from heat. Watch carefully. When skin blackens, turn peppers until skins are black all over. If using gas flame, set directly on flame, turning with tongs to blacken all over. Using tongs, transfer peppers to paper bag, and close bag. Let peppers steam in bag 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove from bag and rub skin off with fingers.
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This recipe, from the West Allis cable TV show, "La Cuisine du Garage," goes together in a flash.
Cheese and Onion Enchiladas
4 tablespoons corn oil (about) (divided)
12 (6-inch) tortillas
2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (8 to 10 ounces) (divided)
3/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 pickled jalapeno peppers, rinsed, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat about 2 tablespoons oil in saute pan to medium heat. Dip each tortilla into hot oil until limp and pliable, about 20 seconds. Do this on both sides of tortilla. Add additional oil as needed. Remove with tongs and drain tortillas briefly on a paper towel.
Place about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and about 1 tablespoon onion on each tortilla; roll, trying to keep enchilada even in size and the contents compact. Place tortillas seam side down in 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in saucepan. Gradually whisk in flour. Cook 3 to 5 minutes over low heat. Gradually add chicken broth to roux, whisking and cooking until thickened and bubbly. Gradually stir in sour cream, whisking constantly, until smooth; and chopped jalapeno peppers. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over enchiladas.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.
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Chef and food historian Loretta Barrett Oden shared this main-dish recipe using a native American meat. Besides offering wonderful flavors, the meat is so tender it almost melts in your mouth, said the tester.
Barbecued Buffalo Brisket
3 pounds buffalo or beef brisket (see note)
1/2 cup Wright's Liquid Smoke
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce (she uses Bull's-Eye Spicy Hickory Barbecue Sauce)
1 cup juices from brisket
Place brisket in baking pan. Pour liquid smoke over brisket. Sprinkle on garlic and onion powders and celery salt. Turn over a few times to evenly distribute seasoning. Cover and marinate overnight.
The next day, remove from refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Pour Worcestershire sauce and water over all. Cover very tightly with foil, sealing, so that no steam will escape. Place in oven 6 to 8 hours. Do not open oven until after 6 hours. Meat should be tender, moist and falling apart. If not done, reseal very tightly and cook longer.
Remove brisket from pan. Reserve cooking liquid.
Cut meat into 3-inch pieces across the grain, then pull into shreds.
Using equal amounts of prepared barbecue sauce and brisket juices (about 1 cup of each, or enough to partially cover meat), simmer mixture in saucepan and add shredded brisket, stirring occasionally until heated through. Makes 4 servings.
Notes: Bison meat is available from several farms in Wisconsin.
If desired, shredded brisket meat and cooking juices can be used for what Oden called Indian Dip Sandwiches. Mix shredded brisket with some of the cooking liquid to moisten. Serve on a grilled, halved hard roll with a cup of juices for dipping.
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In this recipe from the American Heart Association's "Quick & Easy Cookbook" (Clarkson Potter, $25.95, 1995), traditional lasagna gets a Mexican boost by replacing meat with a black bean mash and adding salsa to the spaghetti sauce.
Black Bean Lasagna
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, rinsed, drained and slightly mashed
1 cup salsa
2 cups low-fat meatless spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 container (15 ounces) low-salt, low-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 egg white
1/4 cup skim milk
6 oven-ready lasagna noodles (see note)
1 cup low-fat Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, stir together beans, salsa, spaghetti sauce, garlic and cumin. Set aside.
In medium bowl, stir together ricotta, Parmesan, egg white and milk.
To assemble lasagna, coat 13-by-9-inch pan with vegetable oil spray. Spread about 1 cup bean mixture in bottom of dish. Cover with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, making sure noodles do not touch edges of dish. Cover noodles with half of the remaining bean mixture, making sure bean mixture covers noodles completely. Spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture and sprinkle with half of the Monterey jack and half of the mozzarella. Repeat layers of noodles, bean mixture, ricotta mixture, Monterey jack and mozzarella.
Cover dish tightly with foil and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or more until noodles are done and lasagna is heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 9 servings.
Note: Or, soak regular lasagna noodles in hot water while you begin your preparations; remove from water just before assembling the lasagna.
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This recipe, from Renee Warschkow and Kileen Murphy at The Soup House, 324 E. Michigan St., can be prepared vegetarian style or with chicken. It was "yumilicious," according to the tester.
The Soup House's Senegalese Peanut Soup
1 pound dry roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 Spanish onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 leeks, diced
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
6 cups water
1/2 cup diced green onions
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or finely crushed fresh)
Cooked, boneless chicken breast (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley
Chop nuts in food processor; set aside.
In large soup pot, heat oil. Add onion, celery and leeks. Saute until tender. Add sugar, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt. Stir to coat. Add tomatoes, water and green onions, half-and-half, garlic powder and chicken, if using. Stir in reserved peanuts. Heat through. Garnish with parsley. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
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The tester said these were the best crab cakes she had ever had.
Louisianne's Pecan Crab Cakes
4 cups grated fresh French bread crumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup drained crab meat (two 12-ounce pouches)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pecan pieces
2 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place bread crumbs on 15-by-10-inch cookie sheet and bake until they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool. Maintain oven temperature.
Preheat medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, shallots, garlic, bell pepper, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper and thyme. Saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and pour into medium bowl. Cool 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine crab meat, egg, egg yolk, mustard and mayonnaise in small bowl and mix well. Fold crab mixture into sauteed vegetable mixture. Add reserved bread crumbs and pecan pieces; mix well.
Use greased 1/3 cup measure to portion. Preheat large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter. When butter is hot, place cakes in skillet and brown on each side (about 2 minutes per side).
Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve over mushroom slaw. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: If you do no have a very large oven-proof skillet, brown cakes in batches then place them all in a 13-by-9-inch pan and warm together after all have been browned.
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This recipe from Karen Maihofer, owner of Creative Cuisine in Milwaukee, are wonderful fresh out of the oven or lukewarm.
Mini Cheese, Bacon and Noodle Quiches
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 pound fine egg noodles or angel hair pasta, broken into pieces, cooked (makes about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 pound (4 to 5 slices) bacon, cooked and crumbled, 1/3 cup finely diced deli ham or 1/3 cup finely diced smoked salmon
1/4 pound (4 ounces) Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 pound (4 ounces) sharp cheddar, shredded
2 tablespoons minced green onion
Parsley sprigs for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In bowl, whisk eggs and stir in cream, milk, salt, nutmeg and cayenne. Add cooked noodles, bacon, cheeses and green onion and stir together.
Coat mini muffin tins with vegetable oil spray. Fill tins three-fourths full. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes and remove from tin by running knife around edge. Lift out. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Makes several dozen.
Note: Can be made three days ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Defrost, wrap in foil and reheat at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
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This colorful, easy salad, with perfectly balanced flavors, originally appeared in the August 2001 issue of Cooking Light magazine.
Sandy's Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad
3 ears shucked corn (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)
Vegetable oil to lightly coat corn
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, drained
Prepare grill. Lightly coat corn with oil so it does not stick. Place corn on grill rack; grill 20 minutes or until corn is lightly browned, turning every 5 minutes. Cool.
Cut kernels from corn; place in bowl. Add lime juice and remaining ingredients; stir gently. Cover and chill 1 hour. Makes about 6 servings.
Note: Drained, canned corn can be substituted.
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This sweet potato soup from the Bavarian Wurst Haus, 8310 W. Appleton Ave., hits the spot on a cold day.
Bavarian Wurst Haus Sweet Potato Soup
1/4 cup finely diced bacon
1/2 cup finely diced onions
2 quarts water
3 tablespoons chicken base
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 pounds sweet potatoes (washed, tough ends or spots removed), diced into 1/4-inch cubes with peel left on
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons flour
In small saute pan, cook bacon and onions over very low heat until bacon is crisp and onions are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer to large soup pot. Add water, base, brown sugar and sweet potatoes. Boil, covered, over medium heat 11/4 hours or until sweet potatoes break apart and most of the pieces of skin soften and dissolve. Whisk while cooking to break apart sweet potatoes.
In medium bowl, whisk together cream and flour. Gradually add to soup mixture, then let soup return to boil. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes, whisking occasionally. This is a very thick soup. Garnish as desired. Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings.
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This recipe is from Sandy D'Amato owner and chef of Sanford Restaurant and Coquette Cafe. The black pepper enhances the flavor of the apples.
Antique Apple Salad with Tarragon Walnut Dressing
Walnut-tarragon dressing (see recipe)
4 antique or good-quality apples, washed
16 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens (such as Boston lettuce, Belgian endive, watercress and arugula)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups toasted salted walnuts (see note)
Prepare walnut-tarragon dressing.
Cut apples in half from stem to tip and remove core with a melon baller or knife. Cut each half into thin (about 1/8-inch-thick) slices. Fan on 8 plates in circular fashion (1/2 apple per plate).
Season greens with salt and pepper and dress with some of the walnut tarragon dressing to lightly coat. Toss together and divide greens in center of each plate. Toss walnuts with a bit of the dressing and divide over each salad. Lightly season apples with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of dressing over them and serve. Makes 8 servings.
Note: To toast walnuts, toss walnuts in 2 tablespoons melted butter, season lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and bake in 375-degree oven 5 to 8 minutes until lightly golden.
Tarragon-walnut dressing
2 1/2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar (D'Amato uses 30-year-old)
6 tablespoons walnut oil
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar to taste
Place all ingredients in blender and blend.
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This dressing recipe is a family favorite, wrote Jeanette Kay of New Berlin. The dressing was tart without being bitter and had a light, fresh fruit taste that really complemented a green salad, the tester said.
Raspberry Vinaigrette
1/2 cup (2.2 ounces) fresh raspberries
1 pasteurized egg
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
3/4 cup canola oil
In blender, puree raspberries, egg and honey. Add vinegar and blend; with blender on low speed, add oil gradually until incorporated. Makes about 2 cups.
Note: Use on apple-walnut salad with romaine, Granny Smith apples, walnuts and blue cheese.
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This simple dessert from the West Allis cable TV show, "La Cuisine du Garage," offers a hard-to -beat combination of flavors.
Bananas ala Sponsor/Bananas du Garage
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup brandy
4 to 6 bananas, quartered
Premium vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
In large skillet, melt butter. Raise heat to medium-high and let butter heat to foaming. Add brown sugar and melt in butter; about 3 minutes. Raise heat to high and add brandy. Flame immediately. When flame subsides, add bananas to coat. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and raisins. Serve over ice cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Hint: If you don't have enough liquid to go around, add more brandy.
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This recipe, contributed by Iris P. Summer of Waukesha, is a chocolate lover's delight.
Iris' Death by Chocolate Cake
2 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water
8 ounces sour cream
1 package (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix
1 package (4-serving size) instant chocolate fudge pudding
1 package (about 12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, combine eggs, oil, water and sour cream; beat well. Add cake mix and pudding mix; beat until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into greased bundt pan and bake in preheated oven 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on cake rack 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely. Slide onto plate and sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
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This decadent dessert, a fixture at St. Luke's Medical Center, 2900 W. Oklahoma Ave., for many years, drew rave reviews from anyone who tried it.
St. Luke's Medical Center New York Fudge Cake
1 box (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix
Egg, oil and water as called for on cake mix
1 jar (11.75 ounces) hot fudge topping (at room temperature)
1 container (about 8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Shaved chocolate (use 1 to 1 1/2 chocolate bars)
Recipe
Prepare cake according to package directions using egg, oil and water. Pour into 13-by-9-inch pan and bake as directed on package. When done, remove from oven and cool completely.
Spread fudge topping over cake using butter knife, then carefully frost with whipped topping, being careful not to dip into the fudge.
Sprinkle with almonds, then make chocolate shavings using a paring knife. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 18 to 21 servings.
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